Opportunism
by Dungeon Inspector
Summary: Instead of going with Jae-Ha to find Lily, Yona stays with Zeno. It's a Lime. Zeno/Yona. Spoilers for chapter 118. One-shot.


Summary: Spoilers for chapter 118. Instead of going with Jae-ha to find Lily, Yona stays with Zeno. It's a Lime. Zeno/Yona.

Disclaimer: Yona of the Dawn is by Mizuho Kusanagi.

Opportunism

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"It was disappointing. I gouged out my eyes, but they only became super-strong," said Zeno as he piggy-backed on Jae-Ha through the trees. He could tell from the Green Dragon's face that Jae-Ha had no clue what to make of that information. Jae-Ha's eyes were wide as he scrambled to think of a suitable response; Zeno didn't bother to hide his smile. Zeno had just been curious as to how the usually confident man would respond, he didn't mean to temporarily melt his brain, and so he decided to let him off the hook. Giggling at Shu-Ten's descendant, Zeno continued, "Zeno already had good eyes so..."

Peering down into the forest, he could feel his heart skip a beat. "Green Dragon, let go of me."

Jae-Ha looked back at Zeno in confusion.

"It's fine. Drop me!" Zeno unwrapped his legs from Jae-ha's waist and kicked off his back. He'd hurt Jae-Ha a bit, he'd have a sore back for sure, but Zeno knew the hit was too light to do any major damage. Those hits felt different- less bounce off, more shove through; they sounded different too- less _thump_ , more of a wet _pop_ like the sound of snapping a carrot in two.

Leaves crinkled and the tree's branches cracked in protest as Jae-ha crashed into a tree branch. "Ugh, that was not beautiful at all."

"Go find Lily, I'll save Yona!"

Whipping in his face, the wind burned his eyes. Fortunately, he didn't need to see to know Jae-Ha had heard him and he felt the Green Dragon moving farther away. Head first, Zeno plummeted towards the ground. He could see Yona, her head held bowed and her arms restrained behind her back by three soldiers. With a horrible _glop_ like boiled potato being thrown down onto the kitchen floor, Zeno crashed into the earth.

Everything hurt as pain shot up from all his broken limbs. His legs folded beneath him were broken, his arms twisted and snapped into facing completely the wrong direction, and half his face was gone leaving a trail of his blood from the puddle in front of him, up his clothes, into his face.

As he pushed himself upward he could hear his blood rushing in his ears; a good sign he'd be recover soon. A fevered heat came from his injured limbs as the damaged tissue swelled. Shuffling his head up while still hunched over he meets the bandit's eyes or at least one of his eyes made contact; The other hadn't repaired yet.

"Zeno!"

He saw Yona's lips move as she tried to run towards him, but she was still being held back by her hair. He would be fine on account of his immortal body, she was the one who needed to be worried over.

 _'She really is too kind'_ , Zeno thought. Her head wasn't going to get better within the next few seconds; his body would recover within that time. "Get away from the little miss."

Gruff, low, and frightened voices the soldiers must have noticed his wounds healing. Zeno had certainly noticed too as the shooting pain stopped, the fever subsided, and as his skin changed to scales he was healthy. Monstrously healthy.

"Holy shit, that guy is alive!"

"What the fuck is that!?"

"It's a trick! He can't be healing."

Eyes wide with fear and a sword raising over his head in his sweaty shaking hands one of the guards slices downwards at Zeno.

 _Clang_.

The iron sword struck Zeno's arm as he held it in front of him in an upward block. Metal shards scattered across the forest floor at his feet. He was thankful, better the ground than his clothes. They were a gift after all and he already felt guilty about getting them bloody.

Yoon would be upset.

The boy was just like him give or take a few thousand years: they weren't warriors, they fought with their heads, hated how weak they were, and all they could do was the chores of cooking, sewing, cleaning, and healing. For Zeno, that had changed since Hiryu's death. He finally was a warrior, a shield, but he understood Yoon. If Yoon saw evidence of that he'd been injured the boy would feel the same pain he used to at being too weak to protect those around him.

Springing up, he put his hand through the guard's stomach. "Sorry, the boy is going to be mad at me if my clothes get anymore torn up."

The stiff leather armor cracked as the guard's body smacked against the earth.

Killing was never something Zeno had liked to do, but failing Yona was something he never willingly could do.

"Don't move. I'll do it! I'll kill the girl." said one of the two remaining guards. He'd positioned himself behind Yona using her as a human shield while he held his sword to her throat.

"Alright, I won't move a muscle. Zeno is a good boy."

Zeno's throat felt tight, he knew how to save Yona. He could control his arms independent of his body as long as they have been detached. If he could convince them to hack one off, he could attack them with the disembodied limb. It was a solid plan, however, he could still feel his stomach churn at the thought of how much that was going to hurt.

"If you'll let the girl go, I'll let you take my arm."

"Nice try, we already saw how that went. It broke his sword."

Zeno slipped off his over coat, the fabric pooling at his feet, and pushed down the top of his robe leaving his top bear and his clothing bunched at the waist. Both hands extended outwards in an offering as he said, "The sword broke because it hit my scales. You can see my skin now, can't you? If you want my arms take them. A man who can't hold a sword isn't much of a threat to you is he?"

The two guards looked at each other.

With a curt nod from the man holding Yona, the second soldier drew his sword. He approached slowly, almost dragging his feet, and with shaking hands raised his sword in the same motion his deceased peer had. With a grunt, he cut Zeno's arm off at the shoulder.

Zeno staggered and taking a step out of reflex he fell to his knees. The hand of his removed arm picked up an iron shard, the shrapnel slightly cutting into its palm. Zeno made a hissing sound as he sucked in air behind clenched teeth. His good arm rested near his shoulder wound on the opposite side of his body as Zeno leaned forward preparing to spring.

There was a nervous laugh from the man threatening Yona. "Take that you monst-"

Blood oozed from his mouth and dripped from his slashed throat.

The remaining soldier screamed at the sight of Zeno's arm pressing the metal shard against the dying man's neck.

"If this Zeno frightens you, will you please leave?"

The soldier turned towards Zeno. His face was pale and his eyes were dilated. Sword raised he charged Zeno screeching a war cry.

Zeno leaped forward. A scaled fist greeted the soldier's face. Bone, blood, and brain matter collapsed inward leaving a messy flesh soup in the dead man's helmet.

There was a squishy _slap_ as his arm flew back to his shoulder. Muscle fibers stretched on their own to reconnect to his body.

"I'm sorry," said Zeno in a hushed tone as he cradled his slowly reaching arm.

Those two little words, he hoped would reach the heavens. Small and fragile as the words were it was his prayer for forgiveness for allowing Yona to be in danger, for taking the lives of others, and for being a monster.

A small hand touched his face.

It was so warm.

He leaned into her palm.

With watering eyes, Yona said, "Zeno, your hurt."

Zeno could feel his eyes watering too as he looked down at her bruised face. "It's ok, Zeno is use to pain."

Her lower lip pushed out slightly as Yona pouted. "That doesn't make it ok. I don't want to see you hurt." Her eyes were lit with the fire of determination. "How can I make this better?"

Beaten, bruised, and nearly just dragged off to her death and her first instinct was to care for him.

Staring down at her, Zeno felt a surge of adoration in his chest. His eyes were locked on her petal pink lips. Their faces were so close, he can feel her breath brushing against the skin of his neck as she looks up at him.

Yona noticed that Zeno had gone quiet and was staring at her. It made her self-conscious, but she was unable to look away once their eyes had met. Standing so close to him, she couldn't help but notice for the first time just how muscular his shoulders were, and how lush his lips looked. She could feel her face heat up as she noticed how soft his eyes looked as he smiled down at her.

Zeno caressed her cheek with his hand, his fingers slowly trailing over her skin only to stop midway. He paused then brushed his thumb over her lips. "Miss, will you let me be selfish?"

Nervously Yona licked her lips, her stomach filled with butterflies fluttered when she realized she'd just traced where he'd touched. She could manage little but a nod of her head while she looked at him, breathing heavily with her cheeks flushed.

He was Zeno, her Yellow Dragon, and she trusted him with her life.

One hand cradled the back of her head bringing her up to him, while the other touched the small of her back. His eyes never left hers as he leaned closer. Slowly closing the distance between them he gave a bashful chuckle before he brushed his lips across hers.

Her lips were chapped and dry, but pleasantly warm and soft.

Yona touched him, Her hand sliding from his face to his shoulder as the other touched the back of his head. Recklessly, she pushed forward and pressed her lips against his. He responded immediately.

They meet together, sometimes briefly and sometimes for long slow seconds. Yona didn't know what she was doing as she mimicked him as best she could, but the thrill of taking a risk and making a questionable choice only added to the excitement pooling in her stomach. She opened her mouth with a low moan and he pushed forward into the newly opened space. His hands roamed her back, her neck, her sides, and found their way to her breasts where his tender touches made her moaned against his lips.

Painting, he pulled away and rested his forehead against her shoulder. "My body, it doesn't repulse you to touch me, does it?

"Hmm, why would I be repulsed? Zeno is cute," said Yona. Her knees buckle and she leaned heavily against his bare chest. Pull her with him, he sat down on the ground with her straddling his lap. One of his hands trailed to her hips.

"Don't say things like that miss. I might not be able to let you go."

When she looked into his eyes once again, his expression was intense, almost threatening. For a moment, she thought maybe he was angry, but before she could ponder it further, he yanked her to him and covered her mouth with his in a kiss hungry for something she didn't understand. Returning the fervor, she pressed her hands to his chest and pushed him onto the forest floor. She invaded him this time. His mouth was warm, the caress of his lips softer than she could have imagined.

Suddenly there was a stinging feeling on her tongue and she pulled back. She'd cut herself on Zeno's fang.

Zeno's hands ceased roaming, fighting to catch his breath he asked, "Are you, ok miss?"

"Yeah," said Yona. She heard a buzzing sound. Her eyes went wide as they met with the remains of her assailants. _'I almost... on a battlefield,'_ thought Yona. With a mortified squeaked she shuffled off Zeno's lap ending up beside him.

Zeno laughed, it was a bit more husky than usual. "...I think I understand how mister feels." He sighed and sat back up. "Your so soft and warm, I don't want to give you up."

"Zeno?"

Wrapping his arm around Yona's waist he pulled her into a sideways hug. Cuddled up, he rested his cheek on her hair. "Shh rest miss, Zeno will protect you."

Yona huffed. "...We have to go save Lily. I need to go save her and I stopped to... ugh. I'm a terrible friend!"

Zeno patted her head affectionately "Miss is a wonderful friend. You can blame Zeno for the delay." He gave a thoughtful hum. "You haven't had water recently have you?"

"No, they would only give us wine laced with Nadai. I haven't had anything to drink today."

"Here, drink this. We'll catch up with the others once your in better shape," said Zeno as he produced a water flask from an inner pocket of his coat.

"But we need to hu-"

"-Don't worry little miss, Jae-Ha has already gone on ahead to save Lily. Just focus on recovering."

Yona sighed looking up at the sky. "I wish I were like Jae-Ha. I'd fly to the side of those important to me."

"I'm sure you would. The miss is human, though, and I think that's for the best. Protecting what is important to you is what we dragons are for, Jae-Ha is your legs, Kija your arms, Shin-Ha your eyes, and Zeno is your shield. We'll be an extension of your will till you have no further need of us."

"Thank you." Smiling Yona snuggled against his side.


End file.
